"He was someone to look up to when I was coming through and I played him when I was quite young, and felt the full force of him as an all-round player," Lampard told Chelsea's official club website.

"He was the complete midfield player, the type I wanted to be. I was quite in awe of him at one stage when I was a kid. I remember at Manchester United it was so difficult playing against him. He ran the show and it was difficult to get the better of him.

"More than anything I remember his presence on the pitch. You can see how far you are from the top, and it was a tricky prospect to play, especially at Old Trafford."